Middle School Sidewalks Will Be Replaced

TORRINGTON — New sidewalks will be installed at Torrington Middle School this summer to replace the ones that pitted shortly after the $25 million school opened in 1994.

Through arbitration, the city won $10,000 from the project's contractor, D&M Construction, $10,000 from the construction manager, O&G Industries, and $50,000 from the architect, Paul Pozzi.

The $50,000 from Pozzi was approved Monday by the council after a brief executive session. The sidewalk replacement project will cost about $90,000 and will be funded by the $70,000 won through arbitration. The remaining cost, of concrete and asphalt, will be contributed by O&G Industries.

None of the companies have admitted liability. The city had sought $400,000 from Pozzi and D&M.

Torrington Middle School building committee member Florence Byers said she's happy the years- long arbitration process is over, but wants to make sure the damaged concrete is replaced.

``As a middle school building committee member, I would be disturbed if it was only a portion of the sidewalk,'' Byers said. ``It takes away from the whole aesthetic quality of the school.''

Also Monday, the council agreed to move ahead with a plan to have an outside consultant evaluate the city's financial structure. Councilwoman Virginia Kovaleski has been pushing for the study since she learned about shortcomings in the city's financial control structure at a seminar. When it was later revealed the city had improperly paid more than $1 million in excess heart and hypertension payments, Kovaleski increased her calls for a study.

Before the vote on the study, the funding for which must be approved by the board of finance, the council met with the city's auditors to discuss what information they could provide. Some items asked for in the outside study could be provided at little cost by the auditors. Auditors would be able to provide the other information about the city financial structures for an additional fee, James J. Jaskot of Kostin, Ruffkess & Co. of West Hartford told the council.

Kovaleski, joined by council members David Reynolds and Arthur E. Mattiello, said she favored having a third firm conduct the study. The motion to hire Scully & Wolf of Glastonbury to conduct the study passed 4-1, with Councilman Thomas P. Scoville dissenting.

Scully & Wolf bid between $42,100 and $52,600 to do the study, but that cost may decline since some of the work can be performed by the city auditors. The auditors also said they would share information with whomever the city hired.

The council and board of finance will meet tonight at 7:30 in city hall to discuss the budget and funding the study.